Protesters threw an egg at Education Secretary Ruth Kelly and attempted to handcuff her during an election campaign debate.

The minister had been due to start a political discussion with rival candidates from her Bolton West constituency last night when she was grabbed by two men.

The incident happened shortly before 7.40pm before the talk at St John's Methodist Church Hall, Bolton. The men grabbed the minister's wrist as she walked through the crowd, before members of the audience wrestled her free. A Greater Manchester Police spokeswoman said:

"A missile, believed to be an egg, was thrown during the disturbance.

"The missile struck a man on the back." The men ran away and are believed to be protesters from campaign group Fathers4Justice. No one was arrested.